Improved car-coupling



2 sheets-sheet 1.

1. A'. NIMAN. Car Coupling.

'Patented July 3,1866;

N. PETERS, PHOTO LTHOGRAP UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..`

JAMES A. NIMAN, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO.

IMPROVED CAR-COUPLING.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,085, dated July 3, 1866.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES A. NIMAN, of Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Oar Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation ot' the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a pair of drawbars as coupled together by the link L. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one draw-bar. Fig. 3 is a frontend:elevation. Fig. 4L is a section through the front end at O O. Fig. 5 is a part of a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, showing the pin A, and hinged or swinging bar B, tipped up for the admission of the couplinglink. Fig.6 is a section through W W, Fig.l, showing a section of coupling-holder, D D. Fig. 7 is a plan View of oscillating or swinging bar B. Fig. 8 is a section through draw` pin A and swinging bar B. Fig. 9 is a plan view of guide D D', showing a part of the bottom plate and of the bell-shaped mouthpiece O O; and Fig. l() is a plan view of one of the coupling-links.

Like letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will proceed to describe its-construction and mode of operation.

To insure the ready and certain admission of the coupling-link L, I construct my couplingframe or draw-bar with a arin g or bell-shaped mouth or front, as shown at O O, Figs. 3 and 4. A

B is a swinging or oscillating bar, hinged to bearings B B on the upper side of the top plate of the draw-bar. A is a draw-pin passing through a hole in said oscillating bar B in the rear of its axis. E is an open slot in the top plate of the draw-bar, in which the pin A swings back to. allow the coupling-link L to enter the frame. D' D' are guides for the lower end of the swinging draw-pin A. D D constitute a holder for the rear end of the coupling-link L, and keep it in a horizontal position when the front end is disengaged. C is a bolt passing through the draw-bar to receive the strain of the link at its rear end. Q Q is a bed upon which the spare couplinglink lies when not in use. L is a spare coupling-link, lying upon its bed Q Q.

The operation of the coupling is :as follows: A link is put over the holder D after removing the pin O. The pin is then put back inv its place, and secured by a nut at its lower end. The link is then slipped forward through the opening or.slot S, between the portions D D of the holder, and is held in a horizontal position, so that it will strike the pinA in the draw-bar of the next car on being backed up to it. The link striking the pin A pushes its lower end back and passes under it, when said pin instantly falls back, by its own grav-ity and that of the oscillating bar B, to a vertical position, its lower end between the guides D D', and resting against the rear of the mouthpiece O O, which receives the forward strain.

The coupling-link in one draw-bar of any two cars to be coupled together is always to be drawn back of the guides D DI', where it will lie on the bottom plate of the draw-bar.

The front end of the coupling-link should be made brpader than the :rear end, as 'shown by Fig. l0.

Each draw-head is provided with :a couplinglink, one of which is always lying :idle on the bed Q Q.

Having fully described my invention, and the Inode of carrying it into eect, what I clai-m as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of a pair of draw-bars, each constructed with a swinging pin, A, an oscillating bar, B, a link-bed, Q Q, a link-holder, D D, and bolt C, substantially as described, and each provided with a coupling-link, as and for the purpose described.

JAMES A. NIMAN.

Witnesses:

J. J. Coolvms, T. H. SYPHERD. 

